[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 158 (Thursday, September 29, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5820-S5821]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 6314. Mrs. SHAHEEN (for herself, Mr. Romney, Mr. Wicker, Mr.
Blumenthal, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Durbin, Mr. King, Mr. Cardin,
Mr. Portman, and Mr. Coons) submitted an amendment intended to be
proposed to amendment SA 5499 submitted by Mr. Reed (for himself and
Mr. Inhofe) and intended to be proposed to the bill H.R. 7900, to
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2023 for military activities
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the end of title XII, add the following:
Subtitle G--Black Sea Security
SEC. 1281. SHORT TITLE.
This subtitle may be cited as the ``Black Sea Security Act
of 2022''.
SEC. 1282. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON BLACK SEA SECURITY.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) it is in the interest of the United States to prevent
the spread of further armed conflict in Europe by recognizing
the Black Sea region as an arena of Russian aggression;
(2) littoral states of the Black Sea are critical in
countering aggression by the Government of the Russian
Federation and contributing to the collective security of
NATO;
(3) the repeated, illegal, unprovoked, and violent attempts
of the Russian Federation to expand its territory and control
access to the Mediterranean through the Black Sea constitutes
a threat to the national security of the United States and
NATO;
(4) the United States condemns attempts by the Russian
Federation to change or alter boundaries in the Black Sea
region by force or any means contrary to international law
and to impose a sphere of influence across the region;
(5) the United States and its allies should robustly
counter Russia's purported territorial claims on the Crimean
Peninsula, along Ukraine's territorial waters in the Black
Sea and the Sea of Azov, in the Black Sea's international
waters, and in the territories it is illegally occupying in
Ukraine;
(6) the United States should continue to work within NATO
and with NATO Allies to develop a long-term strategy to
enhance security, establish a permanent, sustainable presence
in the eastern flank, and bolster the democratic resilience
of its allies and partners in the region;
(7) the United States should also work with the European
Union in coordinating a strategy to support democratic
initiatives and economic prosperity in the region, which
includes two European Union members and four European Union
aspirant nations;
(8) the United States should explore efforts to rebuild
trust and bilateral relations with Turkey, a key NATO Ally in
the Black Sea region and a bulwark against Iran;
(9) it is in the interest of the United States that NATO
adopt a robust strategy toward the Black Sea, including by
working with interested partner countries in the region to
advance common security objectives;
(10) the United States should work to foster dialogue among
countries within the Black Sea region to improve
communication and intelligence sharing and increase cyber
defense capabilities;
(11) countries with historic and economic ties to Russia
are looking to the United States and Europe to provide a
positive economic presence in the broader region as a
counterbalance to the Russian Federation's malign influence
in the region;
(12) it is in the interest of the United States to support
and bolster the economic ties between the United States and
Black Sea partners;
(13) the United States should support the initiative
undertaken by central and eastern European states to advance
the Three Seas Initiative Fund to strengthen transport,
energy, and digital infrastructure connectivity in the region
between the Adriatic Sea, Baltic Sea, and Black Sea;
(14) there are mutually beneficial opportunities for
increased investment and economic expansion, particularly on
energy, climate, and transport infrastructure initiatives,
between the United States and Black Sea states and the
broader region;
(15) improved economic ties between the United States and
the Black Sea states and the broader region can lead to a
strengthened strategic partnership;
(16) the United States must seek to address the food
security challenges arising from closure of Ukraine's Black
Sea ports, as this global challenge will have critical
national security implications for the United States, our
partners, and allies;
(17) Russia has a brutal history of using hunger as a
weapon and must be stopped; and
(18) countering the PRC's coercive economic pursuits
remains an important policy imperative in order to further
integrate the Black Sea countries into western economies and
improve regional stability.
SEC. 1283. UNITED STATES POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States to--
(1) actively deter the threat of Russia's further
escalation in the Black Sea region
[[Page S5821]]
and defend freedom of navigation in the Black Sea to prevent
the spread of further armed conflict in Europe;
(2) advocate within NATO, among NATO Allies, and within the
European Union to develop a long-term coordinated strategy to
enhance security, establish a permanent, sustainable presence
in the eastern flank, and bolster the democratic resilience
of United States allies and partners in the region;
(3) support and bolster the economic ties between the
United States and Black Sea partners and mobilize the
Department of State and other relevant Federal departments
and agencies by enhancing the United States presence and
investment in Black Sea countries;
(4) provide economic alternatives to the PRC's coercive
economic options that destabilize and further erode economic
integration of the Black Sea littoral states;
(5) ensure that the United States continues to support
Black Sea countries to strengthen their democratic
institutions to prevent corruption and accelerate their
advancement into the Euroatlantic community; and
(6) encourage the initiative undertaken by central and
eastern European states to advance the Three Seas Initiative
to strengthen transport, energy, and digital infrastructure
connectivity in the region between the Adriatic Sea, Baltic
Sea, and Black Sea.
SEC. 1284. BLACK SEA SECURITY AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY.
(a) Black Sea Development and Security Strategy.--Not later
than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act,
the National Security Council, in coordination with the
Department of State and other relevant Federal departments
and agencies, is authorized to direct an interagency strategy
to increase military assistance and coordination with NATO
and the European Union, deepen economic ties, strengthen
economic and energy security and enhance security assistance
with Black Sea countries, and support efforts to bolster
their democratic resilience.
(b) Purpose and Objectives.--The initiative established
under subsection (a) shall have the following goals and
objectives:
(1) Ensuring the efficient and effective delivery of
security assistance to Black Sea states, prioritizing
assistance that will bolster defenses against hybrid warfare
and improve interoperability with NATO forces.
(2) Bolstering United States support for the region's
energy security and integration with Europe and reducing
their dependence on Russia while supporting energy
diversification.
(3) Mitigating the impact of economic coercion by the
Russian Federation and the PRC on Black Sea states and
identifying new opportunities for foreign direct investment
from the United States and cooperating countries and the
enhancement of United States business ties.
(4) Increasing high-level engagement between the United
States and the Black Sea states, and reinforcing economic
growth, financing quality infrastructure, and reinforcing
trade with a focus on improving high-level economic
cooperation.
(5) Increasing United States coordination with the European
Union and NATO to maximize effectiveness and minimize
duplication.
(c) Activities.--
(1) Security.--The strategy established under subsection
(a) shall include the following elements related to security:
(A) A plan to increase interagency coordination on the
Black Sea region.
(B) A strategy for--
(i) the United States to increase NATO's presence and
capabilities in the Black Sea region, including land, sea,
and air forces; or
(ii) a United States-led initiative with NATO member states
to increase coordination, presence, and regional engagement
among Black Sea countries.
(C) A strategy to increase military assistance toward Black
Sea countries, particularly Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria,
Moldova, and Georgia.
(D) Prioritization of intelligence, surveillance, and
reconnaissance systems to monitor Russia's operations in the
Black Sea region, as well as upgrading from air policing to
air defense missions.
(E) An assessment of the value of establishing a joint,
multinational three-star headquarters on the Black Sea,
responsible for planning, readiness, exercises, and
coordination of all Allied and partner military activity in
the greater Black Sea region.
(F) An overview of Foreign Military Financing,
International Military Education and Training, and other
United States security assistance to the region.
(G) A plan for communicating the changes to NATO posture to
the public in allied and partner countries, as well as in the
Russian Federation and Belarus.
(H) A plan for combating Russian disinformation and
propaganda in the Black Sea region, utilizing the resources
of the United States Government, including the Global
Engagement Center.
(I) A plan to promote greater freedom of navigation,
working primarily with Turkey, Ukraine, Romania, and Bulgaria
to allow for greater security and economic Black Sea access.
(2) Economic prosperity.--The strategy established under
subsection (a) shall include the following elements related
to economic prosperity:
(A) A strategy to foster dialogue between experts from the
United States and from the Black Sea states on economic
expansion, foreign direct investment, strengthening rule of
law initiatives, and mitigating economic coercion by Russia
and the PRC.
(B) A strategy for all the relevant Federal departments and
agencies that contribute to United States economic statecraft
to expand their presence and identify new opportunities for
private investment in Black Sea states.
(C) Assessments on energy diversification, focusing on the
immediate need to replace energy supplies from Russia, and
recognize the long-term importance of broader energy
diversification, including clean energy initiatives.
(D) Assessments of potential food security solutions.
(3) Democratic resilience.--The strategy established under
subsection (a) shall include the following elements related
to democratic resilience:
(A) A strategy to increase independent media and United
States-supported media initiatives to combat foreign malign
influence in the Black Sea region.
(B) Greater mobilization of initiatives spearheaded by the
Global Engagement Center and the United States Agency for
International Development to counter Russian propaganda and
disinformation in the Black Sea region.
(4) Regional connectivity.--The strategy established under
subsection (a) shall promote regional connectivity by sending
high-level representatives of the Department of State or
other agency partners to--
(A) the Black Sea region not less frequently than twice a
year; and
(B) major regional fora on infrastructure and energy
security, including the Three Seas Initiative Summit.
(d) Identification of Necessary Programs and Resources.--No
later than 360 days after the date of the enactment of this
Act, the interagency shall identify any necessary program,
policy, or budgetary resources required, by agency, to
support implementation of the Black Sea Security Strategy for
fiscal years 2024, 2025, and 2026.
(e) Responsibilities of Federal Departments and Agencies.--
Nothing under this section shall be deemed to authorize the
National Security Council to assume any of the
responsibilities or authorities of the head of any Federal
department, agency, or office, including the foreign affairs
responsibilities and authorities of the Secretary of State,
to oversee the implementation of programs and policies under
this section.
SEC. 1285. DEFINITIONS.
In this subtitle:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on
Armed Services, and the Committee on Appropriations of the
Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on
Armed Services, and the Committee on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives.
(2) Black sea states.--The term ``Black Sea states'' means
Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Ukraine, and Georgia.
(3) Three seas initiative investment fund countries.-- The
term ``Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund countries''
means Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic,
Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Austria, Croatia, Romania, and
Bulgaria.
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